"Lithuania expects support from Ukraine, the country most affected by the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. The nuclear power plant under construction in Belarus' Astravyets district is unsafe and poses a threat to Lithuania's national security, public health and environment. We have recognized this in two laws passed by our parliament," he said at a Lithuania-Ukraine economic forum last Friday.

The minister said that there had been no reaction from Ukraine yet, but added that he hoped to succeed in drawing the entire region's attention to the Astravyets plant safety problem.

"We need to look more broadly in the region and we need support not only from Poland and the Baltic countries, but also from Ukraine, in understanding the most dangerous aspects of this project," he told BNS.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in November that the Astravyets project, criticized by Lithuania over its security standards, was "a European issue" and that Brussels would "follow this very closely".